Neighbors
by CathyandHeathcliff
Summary: Nobody wins in War, Hermione had learnt. With nobody to care for Hermione in the new world after Ron's death, she might just be htting rock bottom... until Draco Malfoy changes it all..
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: The final war ruined everything for Hermione. Six years after Hogwarts, she had lost Ron, and all relationships were strained, prejudice now stronger than it ever was. Lost all happiness, she continues her life in the same monotonous way till Draco Malfoy reenters her life, and she is shocked by how much the war had benefited him than it had benefited her even if the light had won.**

**Disclaimer: the characters from this story are being taken from JK Rowling's Harry Potter series and no copyright is being intended. No money is being made from this work. Some of the plot line is also from a movie called Kal Ho Naa Ho.**

**Not complaint to DH, but to HBP.**

* * *

_You are probably wondering what happened to the golden trio after the final battle. Did we make it through? Did Harry win? Was Voldemort dead and gone forever? Were they happy ever after?_

_Well, if I had just said we won, then it would generally be thought of as a "happily ever after". But no, we did win, but our happily ever after never came. The war ruined everything. Everything. All the things I loved were gone. Correction, all the things I ever knew and was ever mine, was gone. Nothing remained same ever again. It was exactly like the muggle saying, 'war does no side well'. _

_Yes, we won. Harry finally defeated Voldemort. But the price we had to pay for our freedom and happiness cost us a lot. Perhaps for the people who were less involved, it may have been the best thing ever. But for the order, it meant living without our loved ones._

_Ron, the one person whom I had loved my whole life, whose words and sentence meant life to me, with who I would fight every single day of my life, was gone. Killed in the battle with several others, tortured to death for being Harry Potter's friend. Ron who finally told me he loved me in seventh year, and who I was engaged to marry by the next year._

_I cried__ for 3 continuous days when I knew what happened to Ron. I locked myself inside my room and didn't allow anyone to console me. If it had not been for Harry, I would never have recovered from it. Harry had been in the same state as me, closing himself from the world, not allowing a being to even come close to him. But Harry has more lives to grieve for than just Ron's. Where I had sorrow for other lives and grief solely for Ron's, Harry had to bear the death of all those people who were close to him and had died protecting him._

_I forgot my grief and sorrow and took care of Harry. I had been his friend through think and thin, and I was yet again there for him. But nobody else was. The Weasley's lost not only Ron, but Bill and Fred and George too. Mrs. Weasley could not bear the death of four of her children and turned bitter and sour. She had always been more distant to me than she had been to Harry, and after Ron's death, the Burrow's gates were closed for me. Sharing her feelings was her only daughter Ginny, who for the first time showed me her true feelings towards me. I had never known she hated and envied me and that she felt her life would be better if I was not there. Though Ginny still stuck up to Harry and was his girlfriend, the Weasley's just pretended being Harry's family for Ginny's sake. _

_Of course, to the wizarding world, we were the War heroes. Our professional lives touched the skies, and were widely respected. We were thankfully spared from the media attentions owing to no one but our own simplicity of living and style which was, in short, highly boring and not at all interesting._

_Six years after Hogwarts and five years after the final battle, Harry Potter was an A__uror for the Ministry of Magic and an ambassador for England's Quidditch team (also the most eligible bachelor with a girlfriend, according to Witch Weekly, which I always pointed out to him)._

_Hermione Granger to the world, was the head of the Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare, in the Ministry of Magic. Yes, Hermione Granger had fulfilled her dream of establishing SPEW, to promote the welfare of elves everywhere. Of course, it was not exactly going well, but it was not going bad either. __During the war, many of the death eater families had left the elves to die or fend for themselves when there own lives got threatened. They had been led to do very nasty and horrible things for Voldemort, which had caused terror rise among the house elves. When finally after the battle, SPEW opened, there were several house elves who wanted such a protection and welfare, so that they could be spared from burying there own graves. But house elves from good wizarding families laughed at the very idea of SPEW. They were just like the Hogwarts elves, and I would always be made to feel offended for wishing there own happiness._

_But I didn't really feel much about the elves anymore. I had been slighted and ignored by everyone except Harry. My knowledge and my usefulness made me very important and loved by everyone in the Ministry and the order, but who were they to me? My family had always been the Weasley's and Harry. When there was no Ron, there were no Weasley's to care neither for me, nor for Harry. I hated them for doing that to Harry, and could not help hating Mrs. Weasley for her double standards._

_Sometimes __I feel like leaving the wizarding world, to become a normal muggle again, like the last 13 years never happened, but I cannot. I had spent all my life in the wizarding world; they respected and loved me as a War hero. In Hogwarts, I had spent hours reading each and everything about magic since I came to know I was a witch. Now, I feel totally stupid for having been so happy for being a witch. Why had I bothered? No one cared. I was just another muggleborn witch. I should never have made Hogwarts and magic my life. It would have been easier to leave it behind, easier to not care for._

_I am Hermione Granger, and this is my story. Six years after Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry made us graduates._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Hermione Granger stood outside the door to her flat fighting with her large open bag. Searching viciously, and scowling at the bag for being so full with items and taking up her time, she whipped out her wand and muttered angrily, "Accio Keys!"

Immediately, the keys flew into her hands and huffed smugly before shoving the keys into the lock and opening her flat door. She went inside and dropped her bag onto the sofa and sat beside it removing her shoes. Then she cleaned off the dirt on them and placed them inside her shoe rack. She looked around, checking if her house was neat and clean like it was supposed to, then went about changing and cleaning her self. Situations changed, lives changed but Hermione Granger's manners did not change. She was still the same girl who loved to take care of things and was always prima and proper.

Changing herself into comfortable pajamas and making herself a cup of hot chocolate, Hermione Granger sat down and opened her laptop, checking for any mails from her parents.

"Hey Hermione!"

Hermione smiled, turning her face to look towards the fireplace. Harry's smiling face looked back at her.

"Hi Harry, finally remembered your old school friend? Of course, I can always forgive the most eligible bachelor of the year. He might have so many things on his plate already!" she said with emphasis.

He frowned, then smirked back saying, "Yes of course. I had Romilda Vane's romantic moonlight party to attend, then Parvati and Lavender's Divination Awareness Charity concert to attend, and of course my always obliging girlfriend was badly insisting to have a date with me this week. How could I remember a nerdy school bookworm amidst such important business?"

She scowled before rolling her eyes, and saying "Whatever. Silly bints. All of them."

He laughed, and she started laughing too. Harry knew I no longer cared for Ginny, and didn't bother explaining anymore. He understood. Talking to Harry always made her feel nice. That's how Harry was. He was the only one from her past who stood by her and was still her friend. Her best friend.

"So what did you really remember me for Harry?" she asked when composed.

He looked at her with a disappointed expression.

"Can't I talk to my best friend for no reason?"

"Harry???" I started. He cut me off.

"No, seriously. I just wanted to talk to you, meet up. I'm getting bored here with nothing to do and you don't even speak to anyone nowadays."

I cocked my head to the side, amused, "Whatever happened to the silly bints?"

"Gone hitchhiking," he replied sulking.

Hermione laughed. They set up a date to meet and Hermione updated him about other things going on at the Ministry, while Harry told her of the various wizarding crimes he had recently dealt with. Harry was a fantastic auror, and he generally dealt with the serious crimes. Ginny didn't like his job as it was dangerous, but Hermione knew that Harry loved his job, and didn't say anything. She often wondered what Ron would have done if he had been alive. He had often said he wanted to be an auror, and she wondered if he would be as good as Harry. But she generally didn't dwell in the past. It made her angry and vicious for a couple of days.

"You know, I spoke to McGonagall recently. She said she was retiring," Harry said after a while. Hermione looked at him in shock.

"Oh my God. When?" Hermione asked immediately.

"After this year ends, she says. She wants me to take up her place," Harry said. He looked calm, and slightly distressed. Hermione understood. After Dumbledore, it seemed quite easy to place only Professor McGonagall in his place, though it was difficult to deal with Dumbledore's death. But it seemed quite strange that McGonagall would like to retire from Hogwarts. Hogwarts was McGonagall's life and Hermione could not imagine her ever wanting to leave the place for anything. Hermione looked at Harry.

"And?" she asked. Harry came out of his quiet state and looked at her angrily.

"And? And what? How can I Hermione? How can I ever take that place? What's wrong with her? I'm twenty three for Merlin's sake! Only twenty three! I don't know anything and she wants me to become headmaster of Hogwarts? What—it's a stupid idea!" he finished shaking his head. Hermione thought about what he said, agreeing with him silently. Harry was indeed too young to be a headmaster. She wondered what made McGonagall want to retire, Dumbledore was far more elder than her yet he never wanted to. And McGonagall would not like to either.

"Is there some problem?" she asked Harry. He looked at her.

"As in?" he asked.

"Why does McGonagall want to leave Hogwarts? She would never want to, she loves Hogwarts! What brought this on?" she asked him seriously.

"The Governor's want her to leave. They said no Hogwarts Headmaster other Dumbledore had been allowed to have the post for more than five years and they had already extended two years more for McGonagall. They wanted her to follow the same tradition," Harry replied angrily. Hermione felt the same.

"Rubbish, utter rubbish. McGonagall is a part of Hogwarts! She has been there for more than thirty years and now they want the tradition back? Nonsense!" Hermione said.

"I'm talking to them, they don't want to get me angry of course," he said smirking at her. Harry had finally realized he couldn't do away without publicity in his life, rather, he made it of use. "I think they will shut up for some more time. It's not that, it's just—I didn't know professor McGonagall respected me so much to tell me to be the headmaster of Hogwarts! It would have been more understandable had she asked you!" Harry said, shaking his head.

Hermione looked at him, smiling.

"Harry, I don't think what McGonagall thought was wrong at all. Yes, you're young for a Headmaster's post, but a few years after, like when we're all 40 and 50, you can be one, you know. You know yourself that you have always been a great teacher. Remember DA? Who taught us, huh? No one can do miracles like you do Harry, because you always underestimate yourself. You know what? I always thought that you'll someday become the headmaster of Hogwarts, and I hope you will," said Hermione with sweet affection.

Harry smiled at her. "I still have twenty- thirty years then. What's the hurry?"

"Maybe McGonagall didn't want anyone else to take your place between this time?"

"Right. Thanks Hermione. You're really sweet," then he looked around, twisting and turning his head side to side, then looked back at her, "I got to go now or else I'll crane my neck."

"Bye then. And please relax Harry. No one's going to take Hogwarts away from you and McGonagall," said Hermione cheerfully.

Harry grinned. "No one can. You can take harry out of Hogwarts, but you can't take Hogwarts out of Harry. Bye Hermione."

Hermione grinned as Harry's head disappeared from the fireplace. As soon as he was gone, she sighed and her smile disappeared. She looked back at her chocolate cup, which had gone cold, and heated it up with a flick of her wand. Sipping her cup, she went back to her laptop, checking for any mails. Her mother had mailed her telling her to come home for the weekend. Hermione emailed her back telling her she would be there. It was easier to be in contact with her parents through the laptop than through owls, since her parents found them very annoying and the neighbors saw them suspiciously. When Hermione was in Hogwarts, she once heard some neighbors gossiping and wondering if she belonged to some voodoo cult. They had shifted from the place sometime later. But the laptop had made things much easier for these very reasons. She still checked her schedule to see if she had any job for Saturday and Sunday, but she didn't. She always had more time than she wanted, which reminded her of the very first few days at Hogwarts, when she had known no one and had buried herself in books to pass time.

She went back to checking her mail and saw a new one from her friend Patty, who lived next door to her house. She was a very fat girl with a very bad choice in boyfriends. She kept eating and kept talking about boys, two thing without which she would not know what to say. Rarely if ever, some thing nice would come out of her mouth and Hermione would remain puzzled by the girls thought processing skills. Yet, she was a very good friend, and someone with who she could spend time when no one remembered her. She was a witch with a flare for muggle equipment with which she was actually quite good. When Hermione told her about computers and internet, not unsurprisingly, she landed on the online chat systems and blind date applications. Internet made her life very easy and in a few days, she had bought exactly the same laptop as Hermione's.

Hermione opened the mail and immediately, big sized, italic, red font greeted her with an over excited girls voice screaming in Hermione's ears:

_Hermione!!_

_Guess what?? I have a date!!! On Saturday! Yippee!!! Gosh you won't believe! It's a blind date application!_

_The guy's some muggle techno whatever guy and is so damn handsome!_

_Really, you have to see his picture!! I can't believe it! Oh btw, did you know we have a new neighbor? Jen was telling me._

_Anyway, y__ou have to come and help me with my clothes, I swear! I'm coming to your place today in the evening, don't know when!_

_You have to be there, okay! Dress up, we have to shop! I got to go now!_

_Love you_

_Patts_

Hermione had only just finished reading the letter when there was a knock on the door. She sighed, knowing it was Patty before checking, and went and opened the door. Patty stood outside, grinning like mad and jumping up and down, impatiently. She walked in quickly, then turned around and surveyed Hermione.

"Hermione?!! You haven't dressed up already?? What's wrong with you? Didn't you read my letter?" she asked disapprovingly when she saw Hermione in her pajamas and cotton shirt.

"Yes, just now. You gave me like an hour after I returned from my perfectly normal workday without any prior announcement to dress up? Patty next time send an owl, it reaches faster. And by the way, today is Wednesday. You're date is on Saturday… why such a hurry?" Hermione asked closing the door and tying her hair up in a bun.

But patty immediately pulled her hair down and dragged her towards the bedroom, saying, "Sorry!!! Really sorry, but I don't have the time and if I don't move you around, you would sit at the same place for your whole life! And it's on Saturday! You think I have time? He's such a hot guy! I have to get him! What if I don't find the perfect dress?"

"More like the perfect size…" replied Hermione sullenly as Patty started rummaging through her cupboard for some clothes. Thank fully, Patty didn't bother Hermione with many questions about her own life, she was just happy being Hermione granger's friend. She watched as Patty threw a shirt, a pant and a coat towards her and told her to dress up. Hermione looked at the clothes, frowning.

"We are going Muggle London or something?" she asked as she stood from her chair and gathered her clothes, moving towards the bathroom.

"Yes… the guy is a muggle, so I have to impress him with muggle clothes right?" said Patty and Hermione could almost imagine her rolling her eyes.

She quickly dressed up, and combed her bushy hair. She didn't care what one said about her hair, she liked her hair, and it was part of who she was. It made her feel like it gave her some identity of her own. Hermione Granger and her bushy brown hair. She smiled and opened her bathroom door, coming out and glancing around her. Patty was looking through the cupboards, checking for something to eat. Hermione suppressed her smile, and walked towards her.

"All set and ready. You?" she asked Patty. Patty closed the cupboards and gathered her bag, while Hermione took her wand from the sofa table and placed hidden inside her jeans pocket. She put the necessary spells on her house to ward off unwelcome visitors and they dissapparated.

* * *

Hermione had always tried to make Patty understand how important it is to lose weight and how dangerous it is for the health too. There was only problem to Patty's life. Her weight which never reduced, and her inability to feel sad for it. Anything which made her mouth water had to be in her hands. She would be filled with lunch and dinner in one go, yet she would have place for dessert. Hermione could never understand how patty managed so much.

Such was the case again today when Hermione and Patty went to shop out. They had shopped for one hour, with no dress which was good enough to be available in Patty's size found, when Patty had seen Starbucks. The hot steamy coffee smell wafted through shops, people, tables, chairs and anything in between—towards her.

"Hermione! I need coffee! I'm so sleepy!" moaned Patty to Hermione. Hermione who was looking around for any good shop, turned around and immediately spotted Starbucks in front of her, and huffing, turned towards a Starbucks struck Patty.

But against Hermione's inclination, Patty managed to drag Hermione towards Starbucks, promising her to try to lose weight and start a diet from tomorrow. Hermione was forced to remember times when she had to pester Harry and Ron to do their homework during school, and they would get away with empty promises.

"I promise! I'm trying! See, can't you see I have lost some good pounds! Really Hermione, it's just one and I won't even have much! Just one coffee! Come on! You should have one too!! You look tired!" Patty said, pleading to Hermione. Hermione knew she looked tired, because she felt tired. She had been busy at work and had not known she would be dragged here. The whole thing was making her a tad bit irritable.

She finally reluctantly agreed to let Patty have something, ordering mocha for herself. Patty beamed, and turned towards the counter lady.

"Two chocolate éclair's, one chocolate mocha with vanilla on top, two donuts and some extra sugar please. Do you want anything for yourself Hermione?" Patty asked eagerly. Hermione sighed and shook her head. The lady bought her coffee and they waited for Patty to finish her food. By the time patty was done with her donuts and éclairs along with extra sugar on them, Hermione had only half finished her coffee. They left the place and walked around in the mall, looking for more clothes. Often, Patty found many clothes that looked good on Hermione, but Hermione was hardly interested for herself. They were glumly searching for clothes in shops outside the mall, when patty started squealing.

"Oh my God! Hermione look at that hotty! He's so hot! Oh my god!"

Hermione was just about to turn around when some one bumped into her and some of her coffee spilt down her dress. She started panicking immediately looking at the stain, and trying her best to wipe it off with her tissue while Patty kept staring at the guy across the street.

"He's so hot!"

"Patty help! Look at me!"

'Oh my god! He's hot! He's hot! He's hot! Look at him!"

"Patty? Patty? Patty!!" Hermione looked up from her dress and looked at Patty annoyed. She was still looking at the boy across the street, when finally Hermione snapped and turned Patty around.

"Wake up, Patty! Boys! Boys! Boys! I'm sick of hearing boys and food constantly out your mouth! What will you do with a boy, huh? You know what menace boys are? First you'll look at him, then you'll fall in love him, then marry him, have kids with him and then—then one day he'll leave you all alone and go away. Then what will you do, huh? What will you do?" she asked patty with anger and viciousness in her voice.

Patty seemed truly scared by her Hermione's behavior. She looked carefully at her and replied with a small voice, "Find another boy of course."

Hermione looked at her, for a whole moment. Then she just let go of Patty and hit her head with her hand.

"Just let go!" was all she could say. Patty took hold of Hermione's hands.

"Babes… Jen's right. You need help. You really get worked up for small things," Patty said.

Hermione looked at her for a second before burying her head in her hands and turning around. Hermione was really, really angry at patty and her thoughtlessness. Patty kept trying to make Hermione relax, but she had none of it. Finally, she gave up for the day and Patty decided to take Hermione back home. She really didn't know how to handle Hermione when she lost her control. Part of the reason was that Hermione never truly explained what snapped her off.

They reached a private spot where they could apparate and apparated home. Patty still looked fearfully at Hermione, scared of offending her and came back and apologized slowly. By this time, Hermione had relaxed considerable and felt so horrible at having yelled at Patty that she apologized for her behavior in turn. And they parted friends, and with no dress for Patty for Saturday.

As soon as Patty had gone, and Hermione had reached her flat, she flung herself on her sofa, and started crying. She cried for Ron, and she cried for all those other people whose lives had gone in the final battle. She cried for Harry's parents, for Sirius, for Dumbledore, for Bill, Fred and George, and for herself. She cried because she still couldn't leave the past behind, because she still loved Ron, because she hated herself for being alive when he wasn't. No one knew that, that her pain had not healed, and that she still suffered. But who would know? She had had no one to take care of _her _when she was in pain, she had been alienated from those she thought her own when she needed them most. She had no one with who she could always be herself. Harry had Ginny, why should she not have Ron? She hated living for the sake of living., for pretending like the life she led now, was one she had always led, to pretend and laugh in the morning like she hadn't cried last night.

And Hermione slept through the night crying herself to sleep on her sofa.

* * *

Draco Malfoy opened his new apartment balcony window and peeked out. It was a nice winter, not too cold, but pleasant. It would get more cold but he didn't care about that then. He looked around at the neighboring houses and the ones with the light on them. Most people seemed to be families with wife and children, the place felt too sweet for him. The window directly opposite to his house was closed and the lights were switched off. The curtains of the window were open and Draco could make out a dark sleeping form on the sofa. He tried squinting and seeing some more, but it was not possible.

He finally gave up, and stood there thoughtfully. He remembered the strange girl he had met today. He was getting out of a muggle mall and had accidentally collided with a girl holding a cup of coffee in her hands. He had felt sorry and had gone to get a tissue (since obviously he could not whip out a wand and clean her there). When he returned, he had seen the girl with familiar bushy brown hair, holding a fat girl tightly, and screaming at her. He still remembered the scene.

"What will you do with a boy, huh? You know what menace boys are? First you'll look at him, then you'll fall in love him, then marry him, have kids with him and then—then one day he'll leave you all alone and go away. Then what will you do, huh? What will you do?" the girl had asked angrily. And more funny was the fat girls reply to the girl.

"Find another boy of course."

Draco had laughed as the girl slapped her hand to her forehead and angrily stalked off in the opposite direction. He still smiled and wondered what the bushy haired girl's problem was.

He smiled and returned back to his room, closing his balcony and putting wards on the house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The Characters in this story don't belong to me and are copyright of J.K. Rowling and her publishers, like ****taking that crown is possible.**

The sun's blazing heat and light woke Hermione up the next day. She squinted and looked around at her surroundings, realizing that she had yet again slept on her sofa. She got up and the first thing she did was walk towards the curtain and shut it, then she went back and lay down on the sofa, closing her eyes. She didn't like being forced to wake up by anything when she was feeling totally sleepy.

But it was no use, she was up and the sleep was not coming back so she finally resigned and opened her eyes. It felt better to open them when the sun was not directly on one's face though. Sighing she sat up and remembered last nights events. It always happened like this. She would bottle herself up for several days ignoring the pain and not telling anyone and then one day she exploded on anyone and anything, and felt bad for it. She knew it was wrong of her to shout at Patty the way she did but she just couldn't stop when she lost it, and ended up hurting others because she was hurt. Hermione looked up and willed herself to stop thinking of what happened. It was more important to apologize and correct the mistake rather than dwell on it, she thought.

She got up and dressed herself for the new day, which would ninety percent be the same as yesterday and the same as day before yesterday and so on. There wasn't much of anything different in her life spare the talks with Harry and forced shopping with Patty and her weekly visits with her mum and dad. She didn't even know why Harry bothered calling her and talking to her when his girlfriend and her family had so many things against her and disapproved it. She felt bad for him to be split between friend and girlfriend, but knew that she would not like to let go of Harry as long as he wanted to talk to her. Done with her dressing, she went and gathered her notes and case files regarding the current house elf cases and apparated to the ministry.

Hermione entered the ministry and went upto her floor, which was the fourth floor. She had 5 people working under her who searched, collected, gathered and gave her all the information regarding the house elves problems and she would go through them and talk with the Department for the regulation of Magical Creatures for what can and should be done. They were mostly lenient with her, but put constraints on her duty when it was a matter about the rich family's elves. She had Ernie and Hannah from her own Hogwarts school days, but she also had Alice and Connor who were from different magic schools while she had Elizabeth, a recently graduated student from Hogwarts, and who regarded Hermione as her idol. It was funny till what extent Elizabeth went to prove the point, she talked the same way, she copied everything Hermione said, she was always eager to do anything Hermione told her, and even dressed in a very Hermione-ish way. Hermione secretly hoped she didn't do that, because there was not much to her own life if you took the job away, and she didn't want such a thing on anyone, along with Elizabeth.

As soon as Hermione entered the office, as usual Elizabeth came inside to help Hermione with her coats and files with a smile. Hermione gave her the files, but hanged her coat herself, took the files from Liz's hands and patted her on the head with a smile on her face, moving towards her office. Liz was like a younger sister she never had, eager and excited who she could spoil and love. She looked back to see Liz disappointed to not help her and follow her from behind.

"I don't understand Hermione. Why don't you allow me to help you? It's like you always take the whole job into your hands, you could trust me with a coat and some files you know… I won't mess it up,' she said looking at her with a sad look. Hermione laughed.

"Oh Liz! You're a very sweet person but I like to carry my things by myself, I find myself perfectly capable of doing that from house to here, why not a few more steps? As for the other things, I always hand you so much work, don't you think you should actually be angry with me and scowling somewhere thinking your boss is a monster?" asked Hermione as she gave a nod and smile to Hannah, Ernie, Connor and Alice.

"Of course not! I love the work you give me! And I love the work you do! If there's anyone who can be a called a true woman, it's you," Liz said passionately looking at Hermione. Hermione rose an eyebrow at her. She opened the door of her office and went and sat down, then looked at Liz with wonder.

"You think getting paperwork and documents done for house elf release is fun? That's just a way to cut life Liz, I understood that after losing everything," Hermione said seriously. Liz looked at her with wonder, unable to believe her mentor was saying such things. She opened her mouth to argue but Hermione cut her off.

"Anyways, we have to get the work on the William family's house elf done, and I have only half the papers related to the case. I did meet with the family and check out there elf's housing quarters which are not really all that bad. The elf is treated kindly and as per the older wizarding rules, lives to serve the family in everyway he can, but has also been allowed to take a break if it doesn't feel well. Can I have the rest of the documents about the case Liz?" Hermione asked her. Liz just looked at her with a confused state for sometime. When Hermione repeated her question, she nodded and went to her work, ignoring Hermione's avoidance of the topic.

As soon as Liz left the office, Hannah and Ernie came inside, both holding hands. Hermione looked at them and smiled, knowing what was coming, she had almost forgotten this. Ernie started first.

"We're engaged!" Ernie and Hannah said together looking at each other, then looking back at her happily. Hermione gave them a look of total surprise, as if she didn't know anything about it. She made sure Hannah saw as much of it as possible, but couldn't keep back her smile.

"It worked! I gave her the best day of her life, I can say that, and then when I proposed she was totally surprised! She said yes on the spot, a million times over! Wasn't that the best day of your life sweetheart?" Ernie asked looking at his fiancé.

"So Hermione knew?" she asked him instead, then she looked at Hermione, "I can't believe you didn't tell me! Oh, Hermione, did you help him too?"

"No, I just gave him and you an off, that's it. But I'm so happy for the both of you!" Hermione said and hugged them both tightly.

"We will have the best life ever, won't we sweetheart?" Ernie said looking at Hannah.

She smiled sweetly at him and they got lost looking at each other till Hermione got fed up and gave a loud fake cough.

"I'm really happy for you two. I really hope you two have the best of everything. But I still think Ernie, that you didn't have to bunk a workday for that," Hermione said looking at Ernie in mock disapproval. He laughed at her and they both kissed her cheek and went of their work. Hermione was left feeling a slight ache in her heart which she understood but didn't like.

After they left, Hermione took a sheet of parchment and a quill and wrote her apology to Patty.

_Dear Patty_

_I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday. It was wrong of me to shout at you like that and I know that no excuse can justify my actions. I am really sorry for spoiling your evening. We didn't even buy you a dress! How about we shop tomorrow again? I promise I won't shout or do anything you won't like it. I'm really sorry, you know._

_Love, Hermione_

She looked at the letter with a grim face, and called her owl forwards and tied and sent the letter. She had purposely written the day tomorrow so Patty wouldn't mind her taking today's day for some rest and peace. She was glad that Patty was such a nice friend who put up with Hermione's crazy behavior.

The rest of the day passed quickly and in the same way. Hermione said a goodbye to all her colleagues and apparted home. She felt very tired and hoped to get some sleep the moment she entered her house.

It was quiet as usual, no sound except for the sounds on the street amidst the sounds of a few cars from the muggle families. She lived in Godric's Hollow, so people obviously had to keep their magic a secret there. Her shoulders drooped with tiredness and she shook her head to relax her muscles. She quickly changed into her favourite comfortable cotton top and pajamas and splashed her face with cold water. She ignored lunch since and went straight to her bed and fell over it, fancying a good sleep.

BOOM! BANG! DING! DING! DING!

Heavy loud noises filled the whole place. Hermione suddenly shot up and looked around wildly looking for the source. Then she realized that the noises were not coming from her house, they were coming from outside her house, and she went over to the window and opened the curtains. Looking outside, the house opposite hers had an open window and loud music was coming from the player. Even people from the street had stopped to look at the house and noise pollution. Hermione noticed the old widow, Mrs. Taylor, get angry and walk upto the house, whose stairs faced Hermione's house directly, and knock on the door. Hermione shook her head and went back to her bed, knowing that anytime now the sounds will stop and everything will go back to how it was. Nothing changed much in Godric's Hollow, it was the usual, except the time when Christmas came about. Those days made Hermione truly sad.

She lay down on the bed waiting for the loud music to stop, and after some time it did. But she still didn't get any sleep, because the music player's voices had been replaced by the voices of real people's. Hermione heard Mrs. Taylor's voice, as she screamed and shouted, and she also heard another voice, a male voice, and she could almost hear the conversation.

"How dare you disturb the peace and quietness of this beautiful place with such noises! Don't you know anything?" she heard Mrs. Taylor say.

"Oh please! This place is boring! It has no life, and you have a problem if I live mine?" she heard the other voice argue. She almost felt like rolling her eyes. The man didn't stop there.

"I suppose you are that old lady that old professor was talking about? The one who is batty and mean and who he is currently having a crush on?" he said.

Hermione thought he meant Professor Thomas who was a kind man and who Hermione often talked with. He was a muggle professor who lived near Hermione's home a few blocks away. Everyone knew that the Professor had a thing for crazy Mrs. Taylor, but no one ever spoke aloud about it, at least not in front of him.

Mrs. Taylor sounded very angry when she said, "You! How dare you!"

"Woah… Don't get so angry woman! You might die of a heart attack anytime now!" said the man.

Hermione had no idea what the hell was happening and she was getting quite annoyed now that the two people had not finished off with their bickering. She finally got up and opened the curtains and the window and looked out.

"What the hell is happening? Why is there so much noise?" she shouted trying to look for the two people.

Her eyes met a pair of sharp, yet twinkling grey eyes and she got a shock when she realized whose face those eyes belonged to. It was none other than Draco Malfoy standing opposite her flat with a very irritated Mrs. Taylor on the side. Did she just think Malfoy had twinkling eyes? _Nonsense_, she thought.

They too had turned to look at her. In fact, Draco Malfoy was looking directly at her, with a shock on his face. He and Hermione looked at each other for a long time, wondering how long it had been since they had met and the strange way they did meet once again. They had been sworn enemies before, but had come to a reluctant mutual acceptance because of Harry, who had forgiven Malfoy. That didn't mean Harry liked Malfoy all that much either. It just meant he would not make an annoyed face whenever he saw Malfoy. It was somewhat the same thing for Malfoy and Hermione too. She never really forgave him for the way he treated her in school, but learned to ignore those memories. But she had known that Draco Malfoy has changed a lot from what he was before. Not that he changed in his tone and behavior but she had heard many of the order members tell her how much nicer and attentive a man he had become. But whenever she did stumble on him, which she thought nearly three years ago and for a brief millisecond, he had shown himself to be the same arrogant git to her as he was. That's why she wondered what he was doing over here. In Godric's Hollow of all the places. And behaving the same way as she hated.

As she looked on, Malfoy did a very strange thing. He smiled. Hermione was startled. She had never seen him smile ever before. Smirk, have a smug expression and all, she had seen too much of that. But not smile. Up till now, she had never thought it possible that Malfoy could smile, that option was written of in her not possible list. Yet he just proved to her that it could happen. And here's another thing he was doing now. He was gesturing something to her. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him wonderingly. He was pointing at his hair and leaving it. She didn't understand it, and gave a shake of her head. He did the thing again. Hermione touched her hair, they were tied up tightly since the morning, she saw his mouth moving and tried to understand his lip sync.

"_Open it."_

Immediately she straightened up and shot him a look. It was her hair, she would do what she wanted. She looked at him angrily, and closed the curtains and went back to her work. It was only then she realized the whole thing hadn't lasted more than a minute.

But it didn't stop there. Just as she closed the curtains and went back to her precious not so attainable sleep, she heard a loud voice from outside and this time for sure, she recognized the voice as Malfoy's.

"Do you know that girl in the house there? Oh I know her. I know her from a very long time, she was my classmate in Hogwarts… do you all want to know some things about her? I would be glad to make them public," she heard Draco Malfoy say. In horror, she sat up and looked at the curtain. She ran towards the curtain and opened it. Malfoy was on the street and had gathered some people around him who were looking curiously up at her house. She got so angry as she opened the window and came out.

"Malfoy! What the hell do you think your doing?" she asked looking at him angrily. But he merely grinned and continued on.

"Well, first of all, Granger here had, shall I say, humungous teeth?" he said loudly. Many people sniggered and shot a look at her. Hermione blushed and glared at Malfoy.

"Malfoy stop right there. What is your problem?" she shouted angrily at him, her desperation only just starting to boil.

"Come down then," he said. She looked totally outraged at that. Won't she get some sleep in this quite, peaceful village? Why is it that somebody or the other just kept trying to make her day hectic and tiresome?

"Why? What do you want?" she asked him.

"Granger, what kind of a person are you who doesn't even come down and meet her new next door neighbor?" he asked. Hermione narrowed her eyes. He was her neighbor, was he the same one Patty was talking about in the letter? Why did he have to choose this of all places to live?

"No, I'm not coming down. For your information Malfoy, we already know each other and we don't need an introduction. So whether you're my neighbor or not, we'll be the same thing we always were. Distant acquaintances," she said as she turned around and went about closing the window. She could hear Malfoy chuckling loudly and gritted her teeth.

"So the next thing I was about to tell you about Granger was that Granger always had this stack of books in her arms in which she was always buried-" continued Malfoy as if no one had interrupted him. Hermione immediately opened the window again and went outside.

"Malfoy!!" she screamed loudly. Another ring of sniggering went around the crowd who had gotten larger and more interested than before. In the corner, she saw Mrs. Taylor looking angrily at the crowd and at Malfoy. At least she had some ally in the area. Just then an owl came and dropped a letter on Hermione's head, which she took angrily. She looked outside at Malfoy.

"Wait. I'm coming down," she said as she fought her sleep and irritation away. She looked at the letter and saw that it was Patty's. She opened it and read its contents. Patty was more than happy with the idea and had forgiven Hermione last night itself. She knew what Patty always thought. Hermione Granger needed a boyfriend. She kept the letter on the table and put on a coat and went outside.

Most people were still lingering nearby to see if there would be more of a commotion than had already occurred and this made Hermione scowl and look at Malfoy with more anger. He looked pleasantly pleased with himself and smirked at Hermione.

"Granger, what a pleasant surprise! How are you?" he asked looking at her.

"Perfectly fine, Malfoy," she replied with a desire to cut the whole thing short. He looked at her with a look that told her he knew what she was upto.

"So Granger, I'm your neighbor now. Won't you call me to dinner?" he asked.

"What? No way," she replied immediately looking around and trying to look as uninterested as she could.

"Oh come on Hermione! You have to! It's the smallest courtesy you can pay me. I know no one here," he said looking offended and hurt, but Hermione knew better.

"First of all, it's Granger for you. Second, you can go around making friends by yourself here. I, for one am not interested," she said and turned back to her house.

"So 9'o clock, your place? I must say Granger I am habituated to good food, so if you can't cook well, just order it. And also, I am allergic to peanuts so make sure there aren't any," said Malfoy as he too turned back to walk towards his place.

Hermione stopped and looked at him, wondering what he was upto.

"Did you just set the time for a date which is non- existent?" she asked looking at him. He looked at her with shock.

"My Hermione! Do you ask that of everyone who wants to be a nice neighbor to you?" asked Malfoy in response. Hermione gave a loud irritated sigh.

"I already told you, Malfoy. I'm not looking for a neighbor here. I'm always busy and have no time for this stupidity. And it's Granger," she said looking at him angrily.

"Alright, maybe your busy today. So I'll come tomorrow. What say?" he asked. Hermione rolled her eyes. But then she remembered something.

"Fine. Since your so eager to be my neighbor. The good friendly considerate neighbor who doesn't spoil evenings of his neighbors," she said looking at him angrily, and he grinned, "I'll make up a dinner. And yeah, it's at 9'o clock," she finished.

"See you then," he said and walked towards his place, turning to look at her once. But Hermione was done. Tomorrow he would come, and find out that nobody would be there, since she would be out with patty and would realize that she was not interested in being good _neighbors_.

She finally went inside and got some good sleep.


End file.
